Projector vs huge tv.?

I'm in the process of finishing my basement and in my main "theater room" so to speak I am going back and forth on what to use. A big 70 or so inch LED tv or a good HD 3d projector? I'll have close to 17 feet from my TV wall to back wall. I don't know much about projectors and where I would need to place it. From what I can tell it all depends on the amnufacture? What is a really good high quality HD/3d projector these days? I saw some Sony's online that were suppose to be very good.

One other concern I have is with a projector my celing in my room will be a bit odd. I have to fur down just under half the celing on the TV wall side due to duct work. So in the main area where I would need to mount the projector the celing will be 9 feet. But goes down to like 7 feet where it's fured down. I guess I'm wondering how it would look having a projector haning 3 feet or so down from my celing? Unless I could mount it on my back wall.

At any rate I need to think ahead and know where I will need it because I plan to run wire and electric for both projector setup and tv setup. I'd rather have the hook up their if ever I did decide to go that route. Ether way I'd be covered.

thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

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Projector vs huge tv.?

Regardless of where you end up buying things, I would walk into a high-end AV place near you (thinking a tier or two up from Best Buy) and chat with them about ideas and options for your space. One that does corporate installations but even have some nice used equipment to sell you for a decent price.

There are advantages to both high res televisions and to projectors. What size image are you actually needing to have? What resolution? Under what lighting conditions will you be using the projector or tv? Nice clean air or will you be projecting through smokers watching underground kitty films?

It is hardly a theater quality projector but on the low end is a cutey of a self-focusing laser projector (Microvision Showwx) that projects a crisp image up to 100" wide. I think it goes for $300 or so by the time you get cables to hook it to things. It is about the size of a smartphone. I suspect the room needs to be fairly dim though.

Somewhere between that and a projector costing thousands may be the perfect thing for your space. The only problem with high res televisions is they are pricey as you know and the technology changes so fast. They take up a whole wall even when not in use too.

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Projector vs huge tv.?

for watching movies = size matters. go projector. spend $2000+ on it. then get a good screen, AT LEAST 120". and make the room as dark as possible when using it. and get a GOOD sound system = minimum $3000.

a 9' throw is not going to cut it. 12-13' is pretty good, depending on the projector. you can mount it low, but put something under it, so no one will walk into it.

when picking a projector. the noise that it makes bothers the crap out of me. but luckily mine is dead quiet. so look for that. though, it doesn't bother some people. do your research before buying.

Projector vs huge tv.?

A couple of Years ago, I would have gone with a mid-end Projector in the $2500-$4000 Range.
In my Home theater, I have a 60 Inch Screen now, and am upgrading this Summer.
I am sitting about 15 Feet away from the Screen, and will probably get the Sharp 80 Inch.
For a mere $3200, I figured I get the best bang for my Buck.

BigJim is right when he mentions the Bulbs on these Projectors, needing replacement every 3000 hours or so. Not to mention the Noise and heat these things produce.

Projector vs huge tv.?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJim

You might want to check the cost of the bulbs before buying that projector, it may surprise you.

hey, "you wanna play, you gotta pay". go big or go home .
i have a 119" and i would like to have a 140".
imo, enjoyability goes down as screen size goes down. but of course, nearly any size display can be enjoyable.

Projector vs huge tv.?

What will you be using the room for? The biggest advantage of the rear projector is picture quality. You can't match the picture quality of a good rear projector setup with a big screen led TV. The other advantage is picture size, you can go with a much bigger screen with a rear projector setup. As far as I'm concerned the only advantage of an enclosed LED set it that it can be viewed in a brightly lit room. For a projector setup you really need to be able to control room lighting. Lights wash out the picture very badly on a rear projector setup.

Rear projectors are fairly flexible with mounting positions. The throw distance of the lens and the size screen dictate haw far back from the screen the projector will need to be mounted. If your H/T is just for watching movies and big TV events and you can control the lighting then go with a rear projector setup. If you are making a multipurpose room and will have lights on during most of you watching time then get the big screen LED TV.

My H/T is just for watching movies, important sporting events and other major TV happenings. Here are a couple pics of my H/T, I have a 125 inch Stewart Ultimate 4-way screen with a JVC projector.

Projector vs huge tv.?

I would go big TV, personally. Thing w a projector is you really have to plan an installation for it. Say you move in 5 years. TV goes w you and you plug it in at your new home and it works. Projector is inop until you build a room for it. Or maybe you'd have to leave a projector in this house if you sell it.

Projectors are awkward in a room, as you're experiencing.

If you go projector, you're declaring this room a theater room. I don't know about you, but I don't have the space for a designated theater room. Our rooms have to do double duty - for watching TV, for playing games, for kids sleepovers, etc. For all of those, a TV is simpler.

Only if you have a professional (looks awesome!) theater room like the above pic, then sure put in a projector, but you're building a mini movie theater then, which most ppl whey they say "home theater" don't mean quite that extreme.

Projector vs huge tv.?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deja-vue

A couple of Years ago, I would have gone with a mid-end Projector in the $2500-$4000 Range.
In my Home theater, I have a 60 Inch Screen now, and am upgrading this Summer.
I am sitting about 15 Feet away from the Screen, and will probably get the Sharp 80 Inch.
For a mere $3200, I figured I get the best bang for my Buck.

BigJim is right when he mentions the Bulbs on these Projectors, needing replacement every 3000 hours or so. Not to mention the Noise and heat these things produce.

And then, there is always Sharp's new 90 Inch Screen.

Would you by any chance have a link to the sharp 80 inch for $3200? I'm looking online but there a bit more then that.

Thanks everyone for the advice! good stuff. I"m going to go talk try and talk with some people at a high end place near me and see what my options are. If I can find a good TV in the 80 inch size range or more for 3-4000 bucks I would maybe lean that way. But like I said I'd like to wire the room for a projector just in case. By the time I finish the room (hoping by this time next year) who's know's when I'll have the cash to drop on the actual equipment. And maybe 90 inch tv's will be less money by then. I'm doign my whole basement at once and have a bar to build and things to buy for that as well. So all this will take time. I'm about to the point where I can start running my electric though and want to have my bases covered for when the time does come to buy the bells and whistles!

Projector vs huge tv.?

Now your thinking! Alsas I'm not rich but that is actually a good idea. And I do plan to add in electric/network for both a TV instalation and a Projector instalation so will see what I go with first. I can just see my wifes face now when I try to explain to her exactly why we need to have both a huge TV AND a sweet projector system. I see a frying pan in my future But ya never know what can happen over time!

BTW Ret Nice room! Mines not as big unfortunately. Hopefully a future home where I plan to retire I'll have the space to create my proper dream theater room! Again this is why I'm not pulling out all the stops with this room but I want it to be nice and fun for the next 3-5 years if not more. it's such a hard decision because I see the benefits to both TV and Projector. And when your looking at roughly the same price when said and done for either it makes it a really hard choice.

Projector vs huge tv.?

What I was trying to say is that a Projector setup is not really the best way to go with a multi-purpose room. A big screen and projector really need a setup as an H/T to take advantage of their best qualities. If you are doing a room that is going to be used mostly as an H/T and then used for other activities, you can set it up with seating for good viewing, with a projector and still use it for other purposes. If you are only going to occasionally use the room as an H/T then just go with a Big screen LED set. I showed pics of my H/T to show you what I mean when I say single use room. My H/T is just for viewing and listening to music. We don't really use it for anything else. I always wanted a true Home Theater, in previous houses I always had to settle for multi-purpose rooms. When I built this house, my retirement home, I built my dream H/T and I have thoroughly enjoyed it for the last 12 years.

Projector vs huge tv.?

Projection TVs will work out well if the room is somewhat darkened. If you like to darken the room, make the popcorn and watch a movie, great. Myself, I like it nice and bright in my rooms, so a projection system is not for me.